The present invention relates to a mobile hand, wrist and forearm support for use with computer, typewriter and similar keyboards and, in particular, to a mobile hand, wrist and forearm support for preventing carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, neck and shoulder strain, and other repetitive strain and/or sprain injuries when using keyboards, and for enabling operators with motor control disabilities to use keyboards.
Known supports for keyboard operators do not provide the necessary support and mobility for the operator's hands, wrists and forearms to enable the operator to easily and effortlessly reach all of the keys of the keyboard with his/her fingers without causing undue flexion extension movement of the wrist.
A number of supports for keyboard operators, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,104,073, 5,219,136, 5,348,408, 5,356,099, 5,375,800, and 5,402,972, provide supports which are positioned between the keyboard and the operator and, once positioned, essentially remain fixed while the operator slides his/her hand, wrist or forearm over the fixed support. Typically, these fixed supports are spaced outwardly from the front of the keyboard and, as the operator reaches for certain keys, especially for keys in one of the back rows such as the function keys, the heel of the palm and frequently the wrist of the operator are no longer directly supported by the fixed support.
A support for keyboard operators, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,826, is also positioned between the keyboard and the operator and, while the support pads 20 move laterally, the heel of the palm and the wrist of the operator are no longer directly supported when the operator reaches for keys in back rows of keys.
A support for keyboard operators, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,057, is positioned over the keyboard, as shown in FIG. 5, with one of the transverse support bars for the hand rests over the keyboard. The positioning of the transverse support bars over the keyboard raises the hands of the operator relative to the keys of the keyboard and the use of extenders, such as extender 44, to help the operator reach the forward row(s) of keys, is suggested. However, even as shown with an extender, the operator could not conveniently reach key 46 or the extender 44 since the operator's thumb can not pass through the transverse support bar 18.
Another form of support for keyboard operators is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,256. This support includes a pair of wrist pads 54 and 56 which are positioned between the operator and the keyboard, can be move laterally, be adjusted vertically and pivot about screw 68 as shown in FIG. 4. However, as the operator reaches for certain keys, especially for keys in one of the back rows such as the function keys, the heel of the palm and, probably, the wrist of the operator would no longer be directly supported by the fixed support.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,760, shows another form of operator support which includes a pair of pivotally mounted extensible bars 24 and 26 with support pads 68 and upwardly biased handles 58 rotatably mounted on the ends of the extensible bars.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,632, shows a support for wrists and forearms that includes two arm rests that can be positioned in front of a platform which supports a keyboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,957, shows a hand support wherein the keyboard is placed within a frame and the hand support 14 is slidably mounted on transverse bars 18 which in turn are slidably mounted on bars 24 so that the entire hand support 14 with its mounting blocks or gliders 22 can pass, in an elevated horizontal plane, over the keyboard so that one finger digit of the operator can contact the keys on the keyboard.